Cigarette and cigar lighters of the aforedescribed type are known in a variety of configurations and sizes and with various mechanisms for operating the igniter upon movement of an actuator forming a part of the lighter structure.
In German printed application (Offenlegungsschrift) DOS No. 2242895, for example, a lighter provided with a piezoelectric igniter is disclosed which comprises a cap which can be opened against the force of a spring to render accessible a double-arm lever normally lying beneath this cap. An end of the double-arm lever extending within the lighter housing structure has a roller which bears against an end of a second double-arm lever whose other arm bears in turn upon the movable member of a piezoelectric igniter. The first lever may thus be actuated when the cap is opened to transmit force via the lever pin to the movable part of the piezoelectric device.
This system has the disadvantage that it requires two distinct manipulations, namely, the lifting of the cap and the subsequent ignition actuation of the double arm lever. Furthermore, the force-transmitting mechanism is relatively complex and expensive and is prone to failure because of its complexity. Another disadvantage is that the mechanism occupies considerable space and its use makes the lighter larger than is desirable.
In German printed application (Offenlegungsschrift) DOS No. 2105814, another lighter system is described in which a lever is swingably mounted of the housing between two limits and is connected via a shaft, a coil spring, swingable cams and other elements to a spring-loaded swingable hammer which bears upon a piezoelectric igniter unit. Experience has shown that this actuator system is characterized by high friction forces which cause considerable wear of the many moving parts, may cause jamming of the unit and consequent failure, and renders the device difficult to operate. This construction also is relatively complex and expensive.
Still another electrical igniter type lighter is disclosed in German printed application (Offenlegungsschrift) DOS No. 2248313 in which a ball is provided between a vertically shiftable part of the piezoelectric igniter unit and an actuating element which is swingable about a horizontal axis. The bore serves only to reduce the friction force between the actuator and the shiftable part of the igniter and does not serve any force-transmitting function. The actuator is designed to apply pressure to the shiftable member until the latter is released. This arrangement has the advantage that friction forces are reduced by comparison with the more complex mechanisms previously described but nevertheless provides a relative expensive and frequently unreliable system which can be unaesthetic and difficult to use.
German utility model (Gebrauchsmuster) No. 6607167 discloses an actuator which is swingable about a vertical axis to operate upon a torsion bar which acts upon the igniter structure. The torsion bar, its support and journaling system are complex and difficult to fabricate and its connection with the actuator have been found to be prone to breakdown.
The foregoing examples of prior-art systems for the operation of electrical-igniter lighters demonstrate that in spite of considerable efforts made in this field, the problem of creating a relatively simple, reliable and inexpensive actuating arrangement for such lighters has not been solved heretofore.